Mine
by justanoutlaw
Summary: You were in college, working part-time, waiting tables, left a small town and never looked back. I was a flight risk, with a fear of falling, wondering why we bother with love, if it never lasts.


My good friend, Laviniya, requested me to write a Star Swan one shot based on the song "Mine" by Taylor Swift. This is in an AU setting. Trigger warnings for mentions of past domestic violence.

* * *

Emma walked into the diner, throwing her hair back into a ponytail. It had been a long day of chasing creeps and she was starving. She was new to this town, it seemed nice enough. Her roommate, Mary Margaret, was great. The loft was small, but it would do for a moment. She wouldn't stay for long, she never did. Ever since Killian, she didn't see the point. She wasn't about to let her heart get broken again.

Across the diner was Lily. She had been waitressing at Granny's for the past two years, ever since she enrolled in a college about a half hour away. She hated leaving behind her mom, but it was for the best. Boston had been toxic for her, there were so many horrible memories. Between her father skipping out when she was a baby and a bunch of mean girls in high school, she was happy to have a new start. Friends like Aurora and Ruby certainly helped things.

She saw a blonde standing across the way and her heart stopped. It was her. She had seen her around before, a few times actually. According to Ruby, who was the town's central form of gossip, she was new. She traveled all over the place, never stayed anywhere for long. What was her name? Ella? Emily? One of those. She watched as she was sat in her section and felt her heart fluttering a mile a minute.

 _Stay cool, Page, do not blow it._

Lily walked over to the table. "Welcome to Granny's, my name's Lily."

Emma looked up and smiled. Just as Lily had seen her, she had also spotted her around town. "Normally when I see you, you're decked out in leather."

Lily looked down at her uniform and made a face. "Mrs. Lucas' rules."

"Sucks. Can I get a grilled cheese and onion rings?"

"Sure. Anything to drink?"

"Hot chocolate with cinnamon."

"Ah, you're Mary Margaret's new roommate."

"How'd you guess?"

"She orders her cocoa the same way."

Lily walked away to fill her order. The diner got so busy with the lunch rush, that she didn't get to talk to Emma much. In fact, she missed her leave the diner. However, when she walked over to collect her tip, she found a twenty-dollar bill along with some writing on a napkin.

 _I want to see you in something leather again, call me for a date._

Written below was a phone number. Lily's number skipped a beat. Was this going to be worth it? If the rumors were true, Emma would be out of town in two months-time. Then again, maybe it was time for a little fun…

* * *

They chose the Miner's Day Festival for their first date. Lily watched the way that Emma was able to devour anything in sight, including homemade Poptarts on a stick.

"You know it's not going anywhere, right?" She asked.

Emma blushed a bit, slowing down a little. "Sorry. I just grew up in the foster system. If you don't eat quick, the bigger kids get to it first."

"I can't imagine…"

"It's no big deal." Emma shrugged. "You get used to it after a while."

"I'm just grateful for my mom."

"It's weird, but Mary Margaret and her boyfriend, David? They're the closest things I've ever had to family. They're great."

Lily smiled. "They can be pretty sweet."

They made their way down to the beach, finding themselves holding hands. Emma hadn't felt so happy in such a long time. They slid down in front of the water together and Lily's arm slipped around her. For the first time in a long time, Emma began to wonder if maybe, just maybe, it was time to start putting down roots…

* * *

6 months later and she had her answer.

She had her own drawer at Lily's, an actual drawer. She spent so much time there, it just made sense.

One night, she got to the apartment early and decided to take a shower. She walked naked back into Lily's room to change, when she heard a gasp. She turned around and found Lily standing there, looking stricken. Emma's eyebrow rose, tilting her head. Lily walked over and put a hand on her back. Emma bit her lip, quickly getting dressed. She knew just what Lily had seen.

It was a scar, one that she was able to keep hidden when they made love. Typically, she was either wearing a bra or it'd be missed in the heat of the moment. Not that time.

"What is this?" She whispered.

Emma sighed. "I told you the reason I move a lot, right?"

"Your ex?"

"He didn't just cheat on me. The thing is…I excused a lot more with him than I should've."

"He did this to you?!" Lily felt her body tightening. "He hurt you?"

"Killian was pretty good at winning arguments, he'd beat me down, verbally and physically. One night, he was angry with me for how I put away his laundry. He grabbed a wire hanger and beat me with it…" She shuddered at the memory. "That was the night I left."

"Emma." Lily's face was full of pain. "I am so sorry."

"I just…all I've ever known in life is hurt. Until I came here, met you and everyone else. I'm happy here."

Lily's hands cupped Emma's face and she rest her forehead against hers as Emma's eyes closed. "I love you, I'm never going to hurt you, especially like that." Her lips brushed against Emma's neck.

"I know," Emma whispered in return. "I love you, too."

When their eyes opened again, they gave each other a faint smile. "How about we just cuddle up on the couch and order pizza?"

"Sounds really good to me."

* * *

A year went by and things were amazing. Emma moved into Lily's apartment, though they had date nights often with Mary Margaret and David (well as often as they could, considering the latter had a newborn son). They were happy. Lily was finishing up with college early and looking for work, Emma had left her bail bondsperson job and gotten a job at the sheriff's station. Yes, things were good.

Until that voicemail came over the answering machine.

It was from Emma's old boss in New York City. He wanted Emma to come back and run his operation. It'd mean more money, better opportunities. It had come a few weeks prior, but Emma hadn't called back. She also hadn't deleted it, which made Lily suspicious. Emma had always been a flight risk. She had always been waiting for the other shoe to drop, she wondered if that was it.

She waited for Emma to get off the night shift, the early hours of the morning. She walked through the door, dropping her red leather jacket on the hook, it was soaking wet from the rain. She saw Lily sitting on the couch and raised an eyebrow.

"Babe, what are you doing up? I thought you got off at 6."

"I did. I went to check the messages and found one there from a couple of weeks ago."

"Okay? And that made you not be able to sleep?"

"It was from your old boss in New York."

Emma bit her lip. "Lil…"

"Are you going to take the job?"

"No, of course not!"

"Then why was it there?"

"Because I thought about it."

Lily let out a bitter laugh. "Of course you did."

"You have to understand, this is all still new for me! I love you, of course I do, but there was a part of me that wondered if you still did."

"Why would you think that?"

"The only relationship I had that lasted this long was, well…" She trailed off. "I just got scared. I don't want to lose you, I never did."

Emma looked into Lily's eyes and saw the confusion and hurt. She started to believe she had really screwed up by not erasing it. She didn't want to go to New York, not anymore. But maybe she would have to, maybe Lily didn't want her around anymore. Had she hurt her that badly?

"Maybe I already have."

She threw on her jacket and sped out the door, doing what she did best. It was pouring rain as she tried to find her keys in her pocket. Suddenly, she felt a hand go onto her arm and she froze.

Emma had ran many times before, it was what she was best at.

Lily was the first person to ever follow her.

She turned around to face her, both of them getting soaking wet from the rain.

"You're never going to lose me," Lily whispered. "Ever, you hear me? You're stuck with me for life."

Emma sniffled. "Really?"

"Really."

She wrapped her arms around her, kissing her.

When Emma pulled away, she smirked in spite of her tears. "We're so cliché, kissing in the rain."

"If I have to be a cheesy rom-com couple with anyone, I'd rather it be you." Lily leaned into kiss her once more.

* * *

Emma had once believed that fairytales were just for books.

Until she met Lily Page.

After they got over the colds they got for making out in the rain, Emma proposed to Lily. They were married the following year on the beach where they had their first date. David gave Emma away, despite being the same age, he was the closest thing she ever had to a father. Mal came to town with her new wife, Regina, who was happy to give Lily away. They said their vows in front of their closest family and friends, combining them as one.

They danced the night away under the stars, kissing every chance they got. Their honeymoon was in Canada, where they barely left their cabin.

A few years later, when Emma made sheriff and Lily had opened up her own gym, they decided to have kids. They ended up with two sons, Henry and Vincent, the light of their lives. One day, when Emma came home from work, she found her boys cuddled up with Lily on the couch, reading a book about dragons. She grinned and pulled out her phone, taking a picture of them. She posted it on Instagram with a simple caption.

 _Mine_.


End file.
